Peace by Peace

By Gezaee Hailemichael

Nov. 30 2007

I am deeply relieved that the ancient land mark of my beautiful spiritual country is not defiled by EEBC. As of yesterday, EEBC does not exist anymore. This is a great achievement for Meles Zenawi. Meles Zenawi did make grave mistakes by inviting Botros Botros Gali to divide his own people in the first place. Secondly, he did a big mistake by handing Ethiopia to the colonialists once more. Whether it was deliberately or inadvertently Meles did hand Ethiopia to Italy when he gave mandate to EEBC to defile his country by the colonialists who were bent to destroy Ethiopia by denying its economic and security interests. This is a good news for me and for other nationalist Ethiopians. Everyone will pass away, but Ethiopia will perpetuate to eternity.

What is to be done now? Is peace possible? Peace is possible, but this will demand great wisdom, political and social art. After the election 2005, I would say Meles is doing well. He has managed to circumvent the negative effect of post election. He has managed to handle very well the Eritrean issue. No matter what has happened in the past, if Meles changes his colonial philosophy, make personal and ideological reforms, I am positive it is not still too late to make a difference in the country. What I personally want from Meles is change in attitude and ideology.

If Meles and aboy Sibhat brings to an end their colonial political science, it is still possible to make a difference in the country. As I always say, to make mistakes is human and natural, no one is perfect, but to keep on doing the same mistakes again and again is very stupid. After election 2005, Meles has not done grave mistakes, except the mistakes of going to Somalia on the bases of the empty threat from Mogadisho.

While the real threat to Ethiopia has been Issayas Aferwoki. The Islamic Court did not have any capacity to threaten Ethiopia.

I believe in peace due to the fact that lasting peace can only be achieved peacefully. Military success are temporal. Especially in the case of Eritrean and Ethiopian, for a lasting peace, there need to be reconciliation between the two people to coexist as sister and brother as it has been historically and culturally. I am sure many Eritreans has been prejudice and negatively biased against their own brother and sister Ethiopians.

All those biases, irrational hatred have been the cause of the suffering of the Ethiopian and Eritrean people altogether for almost a half a century now. About 170,000 Eritreans have been living in refugee camps in Sudan since 1967 because of the conflict. In my own conscience, it is not acceptable for me that my people the Eritrean people live in refugee camps in Sudan for half century now. There is no good reason for this suffering except the name called Eritrea given by Italy. I cannot imagine why people has to suffer for half century for just a name. What is in a name? Eritrea is a name given by the colonialist Italy, what is in it people has to suffer for half century? Even the name Ethiopia is by itself is a name given long ago.

We all know that the Ethiopian faction in Eritrea, HGDF, or EPLF is busy setting up tribal fronts all over Ethiopia just for the sake of chaos and bloodletting. We all hear and know that Issayas wanted to see a fragmented Ethiopia. I do not see what is the virtue and benefit of dismantling Ethiopia? What are Eritreans going to get from dismantled Ethiopia? What is the point? Why is Issayas so selfish he wanted to live alone in the absence of Ethiopian?

How is peace possible between Eritrean and Ethiopian and in Ethiopia in general? I think it is possible and now is the time to bring a lasting peace between the two people. Prime Minister Melez Zenawi has to do extraordinary job now. Honestly, he has done much for Eritrean than for Ethiopian thus far. However, Eritreans, probably not all of them, have not appreciated what he have done for them. If Meles is not acceptable by Eritreans, I can never imagine other future leaders in Ethiopia in the future can be accepted. Now is the time to do the right thing in removing Issayas and Ethiopia can breath peace. As long as Issayas is there, it is pointless to talk about development. There can never be development without peace. It is due to the absence of peace our country has never seen development so far. Issayas is the main element of that. If Issayas would not be there, Ethiopia would not have had all those bloody wars. It is one man who is consuming lives of many human beings.

Enough is enough. Ethiopia and Eritrean cannot go on bleeding and weeping with no end. The Ethiopian and Eritrean mothers cannot keep on shedding their tears because of this man. We cannot keep on losing our brothers and sisters from both sides because of these man. We cannot keep on funding endless war and meaningless war. Every journey has an end, whether it is conflict or other natural phenomena at some stage comes to an end. The journey of conflict between Eritrean and Ethiopia need to come to a closure and people can start living their lives in peace than living in fear and war.

I am not declaring war on the Eritrean people, leave alone a war on my own people, I do not wish a war to any human being on this planet because there is no any virtue in war. War is destructive. There is no good war. Nevertheless, our people are fighting an endless war. The war needs to be brought to a closure. As there is time for war, there is time for peace too.

To bring a lasting peace to the horn, Issayas needs to go and the people must be given the power to decide their future. It is pointless to keep on fighting wars in every
corner of Ethiopia and leaving Issayas on one side. I am sure if Issayas is removed we will have peace.

Removing Issayas will automatically quell the havoc in Somalia and then Ethiopia can help the Somalian and withdraw its forces. It is difficult to bring peace in Somalia while Issayas is off-loading weapons in the nights in Somalia. It is difficult to quell the ONLF while Issayas is there. To bring to an end all those conflicts, Issayas has to be removed peacefully. This can be done effectively by organizing mature Eritreans who can bridge the gap between both people. Meles has to gather connections and set up good Eritreans. I do not think it is viable to have a full blown all out war. His own people can effectively remove him without any bloodshed. I suggest the Eritrean people needs to be helped to remove him as soon as possible. Ethiopian and Eritreans are brothers and sisters. We have had enough wars. They need to remove him and normalize relationship with their brothers and sisters.